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Residents, who were injured by Thai military shelling approximately 20 kilometers from Poipet city in Banteay Meanchey province border crossing, expressed feelings of horror and shock. Amid this, nearly 200 civil society organizations (CSOs) have called for an international investigation on sexual violence against Cambodian people allegedly committed by Thai military.
Nhep Em told CamboJA News by phone that at around 9 a.m., after hearing an explosion in front of her house, she suddenly saw her three-year-old daughter running from the fire field, one leg bleeding and her entire body covered in ash and black smoke, crying for help.
“I was so shocked. I had never seen it before. My daughter had run from the fire field with her body and hands covered in soot.”
She said the incident happened near the O’Chrov Market where her family lives and works. At the time, her husband and daughter were sitting in front of the house while she was cooking inside.
She said the Thai military shelling caused her daughter to be injured in her left leg, while her husband was seriously injured on his neck and arm. He also had leg surgery to insert a steel plate.
“My child’s leg was bleeding profusely as she ran to me. I hugged her and took her to the back of the house. I didn’t see my husband. My husband came out by himself,” Em said.
Another victim, Vin Sovan, said he was wounded in the waist by artillery shots from the Thai military. At the time, he and Em’s husband were sitting in front of their house.
“I pray that they stop fighting, so I can work [having not worked] since the shooting.”
As of 9:40 a.m. on December 24, the Interior Ministry reported that the Thai military fired artillery shells into a Cambodian civilian area in Koun Trei Village (near National Road No. 5), Koub commune, O’Chrov district, Banteay Meanchey province, resulting in two civilians, including one child, sustaining serious injuries.
According to the ministry, the Thai military attacks from December 7 to December 23, damaged 127 civilian homes, three health centers, five pagodas, five bridges, and 26 government and private buildings.
On December 24, 183 CSOs in Cambodia issued a joint statement, strongly condemning the use of military force and serious violations of international law committed by the Thai government/military in Cambodian territory.
They considered the Thai military operations a serious violation of the United Nations Charter and international human rights law, and posed a direct threat to civilians, regional peace, and international law.
“CSOs are deeply alarmed by allegations of grave human rights violation, including sexual violence against a Cambodian civilian, allegedly committed by a group of members of the Thai military.”
They said “such acts, if substantiated, may amount to war crimes and crimes under international law, and request urgent, independent, impartial, and effective investigation, with perpetrators held individually accountable”.
They called for independent international investigations into the alleged violations, destructions, including sexual violence and unlawful killing.
As of Wednesday, the civilian death toll in Cambodia rose to 30 with 87 others injured, while the total number of displaced people stood at over 600,000.
They urged the United Nations, ASEAN and the international community to take concrete action and act proactively rather than reactively.
“Creative, lawful, and principled measures, including diplomatic pressure, preventive engagement, targeted sanctions where appropriate, and international monitoring are both wise and necessary to deter further violations and protect civilians,” the organizations said.
They also emphasized that delayed or selective responses to aggression only entrench impunity and normalize violations.
